Thursday, September 19, 2024
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
What are Your Non-Negotiables?
A favorite show the last couple of years is The Bear, available from FX on Hulu. It's an extremely intense and stressful glimpse into restaurant life, as Carmy tries to take his family's humble Chicago beef sandwich shop from the depths of bankruptcy in the wake of his brother's suicide to the heights of a Michelin-rated fine dining establishment.
A big part of his plan are what he calls his 'non-negotiables' - which are incredibly high standards for him and all those working for him. For those of us in the self-help, motivation space, these are nothing new - we usually think of them as 'never settle' lists, or 'must-do/must-not-do' lists, or mission statements or mantras or manifestos or...you get the idea.
For your reference, here is his list of 27 non-negotiables:
- Constantly Evolve Through Passion And Creativity
- Change Menu Every Day
- Technique Technique Technique
- No Surprises
- "Something" About Teaspoons
- Personal Hygiene
- Shirts Perfectly Pressed
- Break Down Boxes
- Clean As You Go
- Push Boundaries
- Respect Tradition
- No Excuses
- Perfect Means Perfect
- Not About You
- Time - Every Second Counts
- Service
- Focus
- Know Your Shit
- Details Matter
- Pursuit Of Excellence
- In + Out Service
- Confidence + Competence
- Consolidation + Speed
- No Repeat Ingredients
- Vibrant Collaboration
- Less Is More
- Of The Place
Gotta admit - comprehensive, challenging, and pretty applicable to almost any business, or even general life, for that matter.
I could probably consolidate/whittle down the list to about ten non-negotiables, just for brevity - but then brevity can be a non-negotiable of its own, which just ADDS to the list.
Which of these are most applicable to you and your business? Or, more importantly, which of these are important, but you're not living up to the standard? I know my office could be cleaner and more organized. And my focus needs work - I haven't written an article here since 2023, for goodness sake. I don't press my shirts, but I don't really wear shirts that need to be pressed. Maybe I should.
#27 - Of The Place - is fascinating to me. It means being of your origins, essentially. Be true to who you are. No matter what you aspire to, hold on to what makes you, YOU. For me, that means embracing my comic book/super hero/Star Trek side - even if I think I should hide it. In truth, those interests inform everything I do, from my creative side to my value system. To hide it, or be ashamed of it, is to deny part of who I am to the people I'm offering my experience to. They deserve the best of me as a speaker and a coach. Which means I have to be my authentic, unique, somewhat wacky and nerdy self.
I'd love to read which of these really resonate with you - and what you may be doing with them in the future. Do you already have non-negotiables? Will you be creating some, or more?
Is your staff facing failure in the face of today's market? Dealing with frustration and self-doubt? How is that affecting their family and future, and your bottom line? Bring me in to show them how to live their #WinAnyway Life.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Day 3: 15 Influential Speakers...Dr. John Thompson
This will NOT include Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, or Brian Tracy - who are essentially on my Mt. Rushmore of speaker influences.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Day 2: 15 Influential Speakers - Pastor Norman Bales
The preacher of my childhood church, Norman Bales, had a huge influence on me beyond just, y'know, teaching me scriptures and what it meant to be a Christian - which, incidentally, doesn't seem to be anything close to what many consider Christianity today - but that's another post.